The Essence of My Soul to Keep
by Bad Wolf and Timelords
Summary: January 1998- Portland, Oregon. Dean and Sam start over at another high school while John hunts down a mysterious aura. Meanwhile, an impossibly beautiful girl starts school at the same time as the Winchesters. Is she in any way connected to John's case, which could prove dangerous as Dean's starts to fall for her?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_**Portland, Oregon - January 1998**_

Marching through the halls of the local high school, John Winchester was followed by his two sons as they made their way to the office to sign into their sixth high school this school year, first of the New Year. Coming upon the office, John made his way to the main desk as Dean swaggered his way to a chair before plopping himself in it while his little brother Sam looked around the room in defeat and interest. Dean noticed this, and motioned for Sam to come closer.

"Hey, everything's gonna be okay, alright?" He promised quietly, eyeing their dad to make sure their dad wasn't listening to them. Sam however sighed.

"Dad said this one will only take 3 weeks, Dean." Sam sighed. "Why can't we just finish the school year in one place?"

Dean's eyes narrowed slightly. "You know we can't do that, Dad has a job to do, and he always will." This made Sam sigh again as he threw himself into the chair beside his brother, earning a look from their father.

"Behave, Sam." He said warningly.

"Yes, sir." Sam ducked his head.

Watching his brother for a moment, Dean stayed silent for a moment before ruffling Sam's hair with a grin. "Everything will be fine." Sam looked up at Dean's words before smiling weakly at him.

They were silent for a while as John went through the paperwork to get the boys into the school before the door creaked open and someone walked in. Both Winchester boys swung their gaze to look up at who had entered the office, and what they saw almost made Dean's jaw drop in shock. The girl wasn't overly tall, but she looked to be Dean's age, and to Dean, just so... perfect. Almost too perfect. Her dark chestnut hair fell in waves to her waist where, despite it being early January, it brushed the place where her jean jacket ended and the skirt of her white dress began. He remained stunned as the girl looked around the office, her bright hazel eyes meeting his shocked green eyes. She offered him a brilliant smile and a nod to Sam before standing close to the desk, allowing John a respectable amount of space as she awaited her run with the secretary.

"Wow." Dean whispered, never taking his eyes off of her. The girl glanced at him, hearing his breathy statement, causing her cheeks to light up slightly in a blush. This made Dean smile wider.

"Alright, thank you." John shook hands with the secretary before turning to his sons with papers in his hands. "These are your schedules," he handed Sam and Dean their respective schedules. "And behave. You might be here for three weeks, but that doesn't mean you slack off." Both boys nodded. "In that case, I'm off. I'll see you soon." He promised, nodding to them before leaving the office.

Sam and Dean looked at each other, then, after peeking at their schedules, started to make their way out of the office. However, they were stopped by the voice of the secretary before they got too far. "Excuse me, Dean?" She called.

Dean stopped and looked at his brother before turning with a smirk on his face. "Yeah?"

"Claire has the same class as you; perhaps you two could walk together?" She suggested brightly, nodding to the perfect girl.

Dean looked at her, Claire, and felt his heart race slightly. "Uhh, sure." He stuttered, surprising Sam. He looked from his brother to the girl, before back to his brother. Oh yeah, Dean had it bad.

Claire beamed at the secretary before taking her own papers. "Thank you, miss." She said politely in an English accent.

"No problem, my dear." The secretary returned with a smile of her own. "Good luck with your classes, you three!" She bid them before returning to the work before her.

Walking towards the Winchesters as though she were floating, dancing, Claire smiled at the pair as she stopped beside them. "Shall we then?" She said before leaving the office, Dean hot on her heels. Sam smiled to himself then running after the pair, believing that the following three weeks would prove to be interesting.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Classes had already started by the time the three made their way out of the office, so the halls were silent save for Claire's clicking heels and the scuffling of the Winchesters shoes as they walked along. Sam however stopped and glanced between the room number to his left and the number on his schedule.

"This is my class." He said, looking up to his brother.

Dean looked at his brother with a slight smile. "Alright, come find me if someone gives you trouble."

"Kay." Sam bobbed his head. "Bye, Dean."

"See ya." He clapped Sam on the shoulder.

"Good bye, Sam." Claire tilted her head and smiled.

"Bye, Claire." He said before opening to door to the classroom.

As the door shut home, Dean turned to Claire coyly. "So Claire, you're from England?"

She nodded as they turned to continue their way down the hall. "Yes, I moved here with my parents during the Christmas break." They walked in silence momentarily before she spoke again. "What about you? I heard you say you'd only be here for a couple of weeks?"

"Me?" He asked, surprised. "Oh, uhh... My dad is away on business, so Sam and I are staying in the local motel while we come here."

"Ah." Claire clutched her books closer in her arms, staring down the hall as they walked slowly. "So... Is your dad on business often?" She asked slowly.

"Yeah, we move across the country a lot." Dean grinned.

"Hey," She playfully bumped his shoulder with hers, making Dean's eyes widen. "I've been there. When I lived in England, we moved around a lot, much like you do. Although, when we moved here, it was nice. To stay in one place longer than a couple of weeks, I mean." She smiled up at him.

Dean looked down at her, speechless for a moment before putting on a smirk. "I prefer to do what I want, when I want." He said.

Claire shook her head in amusement, her hair swaying. "Why do I have the feeling you would do that regardless of your situation?" She mumbled, a smile dancing across her lips.

"Just the way I roll, sweetheart." He winked, his heart leaping slightly as he caught the slight blush creeping along Claire's cheeks.

They stopped to look at each other for a moment, unconsciously stepping so that they were toe to toe. "Sweetheart?" Claire quirked an eyebrow.

A grin tugged at the corner of Dean's mouth. "You prefer sugar?"

Claire cocked her head to the side. "I prefer Clairey, actually."

"Clairey?" Dean repeated, leaning down slightly, now smiling too.

Inches away from each other, the pair stood there staring each other in the eyes, smiling widely before Claire blinked, and shaking her head, blushed and stepped back. "This is it." She murmured, gesturing to the classroom door to their right.

Dean closed his eyes, licking his lips before turning his head. "Uhh, yeah."

Giving him a small encouraging smile, Claire turned on her toes to face the door with Dean close behind. Then, smoothing her skirt she knocked smartly on the door before stepping back and accidentally into Dean's chest. Quickly he grabbed her shoulders, righting her before immediately withdrawing his hands as the door opened to reveal their new teacher. He studied the pair standing outside his classroom. "Dean Winchester and Claire Shanahan?"

"Pleased to meet you, sir." Claire smiled widely, extending her hand to shake hands with the teacher.

He smiled back at her as they shook hands. "Yeah, hi. I'm Mr. Carter." He greeted them before stepping back. "Why don't you two come on in and meet your class members?"

Claire looked up and back at Dean happily before skipping into the room. As the pair entered, all the students in the room turned to look at the newcomers, straightening up when they studied the two even longer. Immediately murmurs started, whispers expressing their opinions of how attractive the new students were. Boys were winking at Claire who would simply nod politely in return. Surprisingly, Dean paid no mind to the girls who smiled at him flirtatiously, instead focusing on the girl walking in front of him. Noticing all of the looks of lust Claire was receiving, he ground his teeth before his mind cleared. Why should it bother him that guys were staring at Claire like she was something to eat? He'd just met her himself! However, he was brought back to reality when Mr. Carter squeezed himself between the two as to stand beside them, his hands on their shoulders.

"Class, these are our new students, Dean Winchester and Claire Shanahan." He smiled to the class. "I'm sure you'll join me in making sure they feel welcomed to the class." Mr. Carter then looked to Dean and Claire. "Is there anything you'd like to share with the class?"

Claire shook her head. "No, sir." She said happily, causing a wave of whispers at her accent.

Normally, Dean would make a smart-ass comment about it not mattering as he would only be at the school for a couple weeks. However, this time he couldn't bring himself to say the words. So instead, he resigned himself to shaking his head as well.

"Alright then," Mr. Carter said. "If you two could take your seats there, we'll get started right away."

Immediately Claire made her way down the isle of desks, her skirt swishing with every step before claiming a desk as her own. A moment after scanning the faces of his classmates, Dean sauntered towards the empty desk beside Claire and plopping into it, earning a giggle from her. Soon after the lecture began, a hush settling over the class. Dean sat waiting for the normal questions: where were his books, his notes? What did snatch him from his brooding however was the sound of metal screeching against the tile floor and his desk jerking as Claire slid her desk across the floor to sit next to him. Wordlessly she put her text book between them before penning down the teachers lecture and whatever he wrote on the board. Dean simply stared at her in wonder as the teacher continued on. Eventually, Claire noticed and snuck a peek at him. She immediately regretted it though as she felt her cheeks heat up, making Dean smile a genuine smile.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The rest of the morning went similar as it had in first period for Dean. It turned out Claire has the same classes as he did, so they would go to their next class, be introduced, stir up whispers, sit together, then Claire would drag her desk to be elbow to elbow with him; sharing her books as the lessons progressed. By the time the bell had gone for lunch and as everyone packed up and left the room, Claire was still close to Dean's side, not that he minded of course.

As she reached for the text book she had placed between them, without thinking, Dean grabbed her pale wrist, causing both to freeze in shock at the action. Slowly Claire raised her eyes to meet Dean's, which were fixed on his hand that had mindlessly reached out. Silently and patiently, she watched his reaction, still as he was frozen in his own world. "Dean?" She asked hesitantly, her words however falling on deaf ears.

Words, feelings, and emotions flew through Dean's mind as he stared at his hand, so close to Claire's. Slowly he turned his hand, her arm still in his grasp as he rotated her arm, studying her soft and creamy skin, refusing to let go. His fascination with the feeling of her skin against his grew until a small hand covered his.

"Dean?" His eye snapped up to meet Claire's gaze, her hand on top of his as her fingers curled around his own. He glanced down at their fingers. "Are you okay?" She asked gently, her fingers coiling around his even tighter.

"Uh, yeah." Dean stuttered.

Smiling, Claire lowered her gaze to their hands, carefully prying Dean's hand off of her wrist. Immediately both missed the absence of warmth radiating off the other as Dean snatched his hand back and stuffed it into his pocket, shuffling his weight before looking at her. "Wanna eat lunch with me and Sam?" He offered, earning a bright smile from Claire.

"If that's okay with you." She said shyly.

"No problem." He shrugged, laughing slightly before smirking. "Well, neither of us know anyone else at this dump, so why not?"

Surprisingly, Claire returned the smirk. It was gentler than Dean's, but was nonetheless a smirk. "And you'd rather not get to know anyone else?" She teased as she gathered her books in her arms.

Dean circled around the desks to walk with her as they made their way out into the hall. "Maybe not."

"All those girl that were drooling over you the past couple hours seem eager to get to know you." Claire shrugged.

"What? You didn't notice all of the boys staring at you?" Dean shot back.

They paused in the doorway before heading outside, Claire turning to look up at him. "Of course I noticed, but maybe..." She trailed off before looking to the side embarrassed.

"Maybe what?" Dean's eyes narrowed.

Taking a deep breath, Clair tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. Shaking her head, she said "Dean, you seem like the type of guy to snatch up any girl who throws themselves into your path, but you surprised me."

"Oh really?" He crossed his arms.

"Hey, guys." Sam's voice pulled the two out of their argument, looking to the youngest Winchester as he approached them.

The two seventeen year olds stepped back and away from each other, not realising how close they had once again gotten during their discussion. Sam smiled inwardly at their actions. "Hello, Sam." Claire smiled cheerfully at him.

"Hi, Claire." Sam wasn't overly surprised that he found her and Dean together, his brother had been acting strange since the moment they had seen her, and he doubted the spell would wear off.

"Claire's gonna hang out with us." Dean announced, nodding to his brother, glaring at him when Sam gave him a teasing look.

"Alright." Sam shrugged before the three walked out into the school yard.

"How were your classes?" Claire asked Sam as she walked between the two brothers.

"Nothing special." He shrugged.

"No one giving you any trouble?" Dean looked at him, both brothers flashing to the events of the school they had gone to in November last year.

"No, Dean." Sam sighed as the three quickly crossed the field to avoid being hit with a soccer ball that was being kicked across the field.

"I don't see why anyone would." Claire stated as she leaned against the chain fence while the boys sat on the cool grass.

"Because people are jerks." Sam mumbled, his eyes downcast.

"Amen to that." Dean nodded.

"Agreed." Claire lowered herself onto the ground next to him.

Sam eyed the two curiously. "What about you two? Do you two have classes together?"

"All classes accept for the afternoon class." Claire nodded as she spoke. "They separate the girls and boys gym classes."

"Okay, I saw we have a vending machine here, anyone want anything?" Dean offered as he got up off the ground.

"I'm good." Sam declined while Claire shook her head.

"Alright," Dean smiled at the pair as he backed away. "Stay out of trouble!"

Watching as he walked away, Claire smiled before noticing Sam staring at her. Blushing, she shook her head, making her dark hair fall into her face. "What did you do to Dean?" He asked, making Claire's head snap up.

"What do you mean?" She asked in confusion.

"Dean never smiles that much. Not a real smile anyways." Sam shrugged, plucking a piece of grass from the ground and studying it.

"Oh..." It was Claire's turn to look down and study the ground this time. "I don't know... Maybe he found somewhere he might belong." She said, gliding her hand across the top of the grass.

"Or someone." Mumbled Sam.

"Sorry?" Claire looked at him with a confused smile.

"Nothing." He shrugged.

They were silent for a bit before Claire broke the silence. "So what does your dad do, Sam?"

"Oh, uhh... He's a... Mechanic." Sam drew out.

"Oh really?" She gave a lopsided, knowing grin. "So is my Dad. Maybe they'll work together."

"Yeah..." He said unenthusiastically.

"What are you two up to?" Dean called as he reached where the two sat, sitting with Claire as he cracked open a bottle of coke.

Sam sent a knowing grin Claire's way, making her blush when she noticed his expression. "Nothing." He shrugged again, still smiling.

* * *

In a motel room in town, John Winchester sat flipping through his journal while talking to someone on the phone. Hidden beside him was a gun. "So people have been complaining about a bright light shining in their windows at night since before the New Year?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Some have even wreaked their cars because a similar light blinded them at night." Someone on the other end of the line added.

"You think it could be a ghost?" John flipped to a page in his journal pertaining to ghosts.

"I don't think this is a ghost," the person contradicted him. "But it's definitely more than a couple of kids screwing around."

"Okay, I'll look into it." John said. "Could be a spirit or something."

"You do that." The other person said. "Oh, and John? If you need help, two hunters just moved into the area over the holidays. They should be able to help."

John looked out the window. "Yeah well, they should be looking into this then, in that case."

"Give them a break, John. They just moved from another country."

"Yeah. Talk to you later, Bobby."

"Good luck, John." Bobby said before both men hung up.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

As the bell rang signaling the end of the day, Dean was the first to break away from the class, trying to hide his excitement as he made his way through the crowd. Along the way, numerous girls gave him sultry looks, purred greetings, put their hands on his shoulders, but Dean simply shrugged them off, one girl in particular on his mind. Finally breaking through the crowd, he saw her leaning against the gym door frame, a smile on her face when she saw him.

"Hey!" Claire cried, waving to him as he walked towards her. "I had a feeling you'd show up." she playful said to him, closing the distance herself.

"Guilty as charged." he said lowly, looking down at her with a smirk.

"Should we go find Sam, then?" she suggested, looking to the side.

Dean sighed before looking up himself. "Yeah, I guess."

"So," Claire started as they began to make their way out of the building. "Which is it? Business man or mechanic?" She slid a sly grin Dean's way.

He looked at her with wide eyes. "Why... Sam." He realized.

"Yeah." She laughed.

"Dammit, Sammy." Dean groaned, making Claire laugh more.

"You might wanna get your cover story solid with your brother before telling people what it is you dad does." She advised him, still smiling.

"Yeah, how do you know that? Who says it's a cover story? What do you know?" He challenged.

"You both said something different, I'm not stupid Dean." Claire mumbled the last part, her gaze downcast.

Dean immediately regretted what he said, feeling bad as he looked down at her. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that." Despite his words, her head was still hung low. Stopping, Dean grabbed Claire by the shoulders and prevented her from walking away, before putting a hand under her chin and gently lifted her face to look at his. Her eyes however, were still downcast. "Clairey, I'm sorry." Finally she met his gaze, making him smile slightly. "Really, I mean it."

For a long moment, they simply stared at one another, watching for what the other might do, searching. Finally, Claire responded, biting her lip before flashing her eyes down and back up to meet Dean's, then eventually smiling slightly. "Okay." She said quietly. It was silent again. "We should go."

Dean grabbed her wrist as she turned to walk away, too shy to grab her hand, but he immediately relinquished his grasp as it felt as though both had been shocked. Quickly he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Clairey, we're good, right?"

"Of course." She promised. Dean's frame relaxed in relief. "I can't lose the only friend I have at this school, even if you're not here for overly long."

At this Dean's heart fell, his shoulders sagging in regret. "I'm here now though." He said hopefully.

Walking out into the cool afternoon air, Claire smiled up at him as they made their way down the front steps towards where Sam stood on the pavement below. "That's all that matter for now." She agreed before waving to Sam. "Hey, Sammy."

Sam did not smile or say anything in return however, instead looking to his brother. "Dean..." He said, trailing off as he looked across the parking lot.

Dean followed Sam's gaze to where he saw his dad's impala, waiting for them. "No..." He whispered in horror.

"What?" Claire asked in confusion, looking to where the Winchesters were looking. "Is that your dad?" She asked.

"He said three weeks." Dean shook his head, Sam's shoulders fell.

"Does that mean you're leaving?" Claire looked between Dean, Sam and the car.

"I don't know..." Sam said quietly.

The three of them stood there looking at the car before someone finally moved. "Well... If you're here tomorrow, I'll be where we spent lunch," Claire lifted her head high and squared her shoulders. "But if not, it was nice meeting you two."

Sam smiled up at her sadly. "It was nice to meet you too, Claire."

Dean tried to say something, but the words were stuck in his throat. He didn't want to say good bye. "Bye Sam, bye Dean." Claire gave them one final, sad smile before walking away. They watched her go, all three feeling a sense of loss: but what Sam and Dean didn't see were the tears in Claire's eyes as she walked away, failing to swallow the large lump in her throat.

The Winchesters staring however was interrupted as their dad honked the horn of the impala, making them look towards him. "Do you think Dad is pulling us out?" Sam asked as they made their way through the parking lot.

"I don't know, Sammy." Dean shrugged, walking around to the passenger door before sliding into the vehicle.

"Hey Dad." Sam said as he climbed into the backseat.

"Who was the girl?" John said straightforwardly.

"Claire, she was in the office this morning." Dean responded as they blew past her. She stopped walking to watch them drive away, and what he noticed was it seemed that she had tears in her eyes. Why would Claire be sad? "She's a new student like us." He choked out eventually, looking at the road ahead.

"She in any of your classes?" John continued the interrogation.

"All classes but one, sir." Dean replied.

"Hmph." This girl was new, and Bobby had said some hunters had moved into the area. Maybe this was their kid, if they had one that was; and if she was, of course the hunter kids were drawn to the hunter kids. Despite the thoughts running through his mind, John said nothing. It wouldn't matter anyways, once this hunt was over, they'd be gone and Sam and Dean wouldn't see the girl again. Besides, it was dangerous for a hunter to make emotional connections.

"Why did you come get us?" Dean finally said, his tone hard. "You never pick us up unless you've finished a hunt."

John glanced at his eldest son. "We're not leaving yet; this hunt has to be done at night."

"Vampires?" Sam asked from the back.

"I don't know what it is." John replied, glancing at Sam in the rear-view mirror. "All I know is that it's a ball of light that it appears at night."

"So we're staying?" Dean said, refusing to let the hope he felt rising in chest to be evident in his voice.

John sent him a sharp look. "Don't get too attached to that girl," he warned. "Attachments are a dangerous thing. Understand?"

"Yes sir." Sam and Dean said in unison. However, both brothers had no intention in following that order.

* * *

The following day as students milled about the yard with their friends, the sun casting a golden glow across the school. By the fence Claire stood clutching her books close, hugging them closer as she scanned the field and failed to locate her friends. Slowly she lowered her head, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to force back the tears that attempted to make themselves known. Through clenched teeth, Claire breathed in as she tried to calm herself when she heard her name called.

"Clairey!" She heard someone shout. Her head snapped up in the direction the voice came from to see Sam and Dean walking towards her with smiles on their faces. Immediately she dropped her books in disbelief before sprinting across the field and almost knocking Dean off of his feet. It caught him off guard; because for someone who was so fragile looking, Claire was quite strong. However nonetheless, after a stunned moment of being hugged tightly, he reciprocated the hug just as tightly, going so far as to lift her off the ground and spinning her in a circle before setting her back down. Claire then turned around to Sam, and because she was only an inch or so taller than he was, it made hugging him easier. Finally, she back away from them, all three smiling at each other happily.

"You aren't getting rid of us that easily, Clairey." Dean teased her, his smile getting much wider.

"I'm glad." Claire smiled, any trace of tears now gone. She took Dean's hand in hers and wrapped an arm around Sam's shoulders as they began to walk to where Claire had dropped her books.

Despite knowing that he would soon be gone, Dean decided to ignore his Dad's rule and not avoid Claire. She somehow made him feel happy, and more than complete. So for now, he gently but firmly held on to her hand tighter, not willing to let go. Claire felt the added pressure on her hand and looked to her hand in Dean's, moving her hand to intertwine their fingers. Looking to each other, they smiled brightly as they made their way across the field before class began.

* * *

_**A/N: Thank you everyone for their kind words! I'm so glad everyone likes this story. It's haunting me, trust me, this will probably be updated frequently. Although this was more so a filler, more to come soon! Thanks again!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The dark streets were empty as John walked along the sidewalk, his shoulders hunched as he kept his hand discreetly on his gun. The problem with this hunt was that it could only be done from midnight to before the sun rose, for he had only captured glimpses of his target, but had never gotten close to it. From what John could tell though, it was simply an orb of glowing light, nothing more. However, whenever he tried to approach it, to get a closer look, it would speed away, as though it was frightened, and then it would be gone. So, the past week was spent sleeping and researching, while the nights were reserved for hunting.

Rounding a corner, John suddenly became bathed in a warm and soothing light. Immediately looking up, he saw the orb of light floating in front of a dark blue house. Gun in his hand at the ready, he inched closer to the light, surprised to hear a heart breaking humming coming from the orb, as though it were sad to see the house. Never in the times he had caught a glimpse of it had John ever heard it emanating a sound, but now the sound it made could bring tears to one's eyes, as though the orb itself were crying.

Inch by inch he stepped forward, trying to get as close as he could, he was only a couple feet away when the orb shifted, seemingly turning to face him before shuddering with a high pitched whine and zooming away. Lowering his gun, John watched it zoom off and sigh in annoyance. This time he had gotten so close only to scare it off. Although, at least now he knew it wouldn't attack for now. Even if it was simply an innocent and curious being, it had caused trouble, attracted attention to itself, and John wanted to know what it was.

* * *

Despite John making no progress with his hunt, both Sam and Dean had rapidly grown close to Claire, and vice versa for her. For Sam, Claire provided the feminine voice that he had so desperately craved for most of his life. However, the most noticeable bond was how close Claire and Dean had grown. They could always be found together while on break with Sam, and in class, Claire and Dean were inseparable. Each class either Claire or Dean would slide their desk to the other's, silently work together as their peers would talk amongst their own groups, occasionally sending glances and glares at the new students who refused to interact with anyone other than themselves. Neither of them particularly cared however, they were simply content, happy even, to be in each other's company.

It was on the Monday of the second week in Portland that things began to change between the two seventeen year olds. Final classes had ended for the day, and Dean more or less rushed down the hall as per usual to where Claire would always be waiting with a smile that would lift his heart. Today however as he got closer, he couldn't find Claire where she hardly was. Quickly he scanned the area, searching for the girl in the white dress. To his disappointment though he could not find her. Instead, the only girls he could see were the girls who had been drooling over him since day one while casting Claire...

"Hi, Dean." A blonde approached him slowly, seductively.

"Uh, hi." He said in return, standing on his tip toes to look over the sea of people.

"So," she persisted, stepping into his field of view. "Me some of the girls are having a party tonight. You wanna come?"

Usually, at any other school, under any other circumstances, Dean would have immediately said yes. Here was a hot girl, and her friends, literally throwing themselves at him and he was turning them down as though they were nothing. He knew why though, it was Claire. Recently it always came back to her... But why? It was the simple fact that she made him happy, he enjoyed being with her. It was in that moment that it hit Dean that he may actually be in love with the girl. "No thanks. Listen, you see Claire around?" He asked, finally looking at her.

The girl's expression fell at his words, her lips forming a pout. "Why would you want to hang out with her when you can hang out with us?" She asked, a strange glint in her eye.

"Because she's my friend." Dean said, his tone hard. "Now tell me where she is." He ordered, earning stares from those passing by, but he didn't care. Claire meant a lot to him, and he wasn't about to let her slip through his fingers while he was still around.

The girl's jaw dropped in shock, her brow furrowing in anger. "She ran out." She stated. Dean turned and began to walk away before the girl continued speaking. "Good riddance if you ask me. You shouldn't waste your time with her Dean, when you can do so much better."

He came to a complete stop, turning sharply on his heel to face the girl with a seething expression. "Go to hell." He hissed before storming away, leaving the hall and making his way outside. Stopping on the front steps, Dean began scanning the school grounds, searching the crowds to locate his friend, but to no avail. His eyes wandered past "their" spot, but saw no one there but Sammy. Sam saw his brother standing on the steps and watched him, watched him search the crowds. He was alone, so he was undoubtedly searching for Claire.

Curiously, Dean looked towards the wood across the field, lining the school grounds. It was then he saw it, the ivory hiding amongst the needles of the tall pine trees. Despite the chill that had crept up on the town, there was still no snow to be seen, which could only mean one thing. Immediately Dean jogged down the steps, pushing past people before reaching the field and flat out running across it to the tree line. After an antagonising long moment, he finally reached the trees where he came to a slow walk. After a moment of listening, he could hear the sobs coming from up in the tree. Tilting his head up Dean found Claire with her back to the trunk of the tree, legs on either side of the branch as she sat with her eyes closed, tear tracks gleaming down her face. Jumping up, he grabbed the branch hanging above him before hauling himself into the tree and climbing up to sit facing Claire on her branch.

They sat there silently, Claire with her eyes closed and Dean staring at her face before he spoke. "You know, not that I'm complaining, but seeing as how you're in a dress, it might not be the best idea to be sitting up here." He teased, a soft smirk on his face. Claire tilted her head up slightly, smiling weakly before opening her eyes to look at Dean, the tears once again starting to flow. "Hey," he said softly, retaining his balance as he leaned forward to grasp her hands. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Claire whispered, closing her eyes as she slowly shook her head, the bark of the tree trunk rough on the back of her head. The tears started to flow again.

Dean looked down to the ground for a moment. "What did those girls do to you?" He asked quietly, glancing at her.

Claire's breath came out loud and shaky as she began to gasp for air. "They-they called me a w-whore." She stuttered, her mouth turning down in a frown and grimace as she began to cry.

Dean squeezed his eyes shut, looking away so Claire wouldn't see the look of rage on his face. "And why would they do that?" He said through clenched teeth.

"Because I'm always around you and Sam, namely you." Claire shrugged. "And because I'm always wearing dress, they think I'm desperate to..." She couldn't finish before beginning to cry even further.

Normally Dean was uncomfortable with a girl crying in front of him, but this was Claire. He felt complete around her, he felt happy; and to know that it was his fault that she was bullied, simply because they were friends; close friends with the week they had gotten to know each other, and Dean wouldn't lie if he'd privately admit he wished for something stronger. Not anything like what he wanted from any other girl he had dated, but to simply be with her forever. For now however, he simply leaned farther forward, withdrawing his hands to wrap his arms around Claire and pull her into his chest where she cried even harder. Gently he tucked her head beneath his chin, resting his head on hers as he rubbed her back soothingly. The pair sat amongst the pine needles for a while, Dean sitting silently making sure neither one of them fell out of the tree as Claire cried her heart out, soaking his shirt with her salty tears.

Slowly, her sobs turned into whimpers, and finally silence. Regardless, she remained in Dean's embrace, even wrapping her arms around his torso and carefully shimmying her way on the branch to bury herself deeper into his chest. His grasp on her tightened significantly as he buried his face into her hair, breathing in her scent. "I'm going to tear their lungs out." He muttered into her hair, taking in her vanilla scent.

Surprisingly, Claire managed a weak laugh. "I don't doubt you could." Her voice was muffled as she spoke into his chest before pulling back to give him a slight bleary eyed smile.

Dean gave her a small smile. "They're just jealous you get me all to yourself."

Claire managed another weak smile before looking down to the ground. "I'm wearing tights by the way, dumbass." She rolled her eyes, looking pointedly at her brown tights clinging to her skin, referring to Dean's earlier comment about her hiding place and choice of fashion.

Together they laughed, locking gazes before lapsing again into silence, simply smiling. "You okay now?" Dean asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Not really." Claire shook her head, looking towards the school sadly.

Holding his breath, Dean thought for a moment before blurting out "Why don't you come hang out with me and Sammy later tonight?"

This time it was Claire turn to stop breathing, ever so slowly raising her gaze up to meet his. "What about your dad?" She asked slowly.

"He'll be out all night; we'd have the room to ourselves." Dean shrugged.

"I don't want you getting in trouble..." Claire mumbled, looking down.

"Hey," Dean put his finger tips under chin and tilted Claire's face up to look at his. At his action she stopped breathing. "Just come, okay?"

Blinking back tears, she nodded, making him smile. Around them the wind blew gently, enveloping each other with the other's scent. Dean closed his eyes and inhaled Claire's vanilla scent as the smell of Dean's leather jacket played at Claire's senses. Both closed their eyes, seduced by the others scents dancing around them, unconsciously leaning in. Their lips had barely grazed each other when a shout shocked them both back to reality, instantly pulling back from each other in shock as they locked gazes then looked to the ground.

"Dean? Claire?" Sam called as he ran closer to the tree line, looking around.

"Dammit, Sammy." Dean whispered as he watched his brother through the branches as he got closer to where the two were hiding. At his words, Claire immediately hid her face from Dean, trying not to let him see her cheeks flame red in embarrassment. "Over here." Dean called louder.

On the ground Sam saw Claire's books at the base of a pine tree and ran over. Stopping, her looked up to see his brother and Claire sitting high up in the branches. "What are you doing up there?" He asked, looking at them curiously.

"Planning." Dean shrugged; swinging his left leg over the branch and began to climb down the tree, jumping the rest of the way once he was close enough to the ground.

Sam looked at Dean oddly. "Planning what?"

"Claire's going to come over tonight. We'll all watch a movie or something." Dean looked from Sam to Claire, then back to Sam.

For a moment Sam perked up before his excited expression fell. "But what about dad?"

"Sam's right, Dean." Claire spoke from where she was still seated on the tree branch, however now both legs dangled from the same side of the branch. "I don't want to impose."

"And you won't." Dean insisted, turning to look up at her. "Promise."

Claire bit her lip, unsure as she looked between the two brothers. "Okay..." She said slowly.

"Alright," Dean nodded with a smile. "We should probably get going." He looked away to the school yard, which was almost empty.

"Yeah." Claire agreed before beginning to climb down. When her boot reached the last branch, she turned so she could sit on it. She was about to slip off the branch and jump down to the ground when Dean held his hands up.

"Let me help you." He said.

Nodding in response, Claire carefully leaned forward to place her hands on Dean's shoulders as he firmly but gently placed his hands on her hips. Quickly Claire snuck a glimpse at Dean's hands on her hips, blushing at how normal, how right it felt to be in his grasp, as strange as that may have sounded to her. The two locked gazes, Dean nodding before Claire slipped off the branch, falling the short way to the ground with Dean guiding her descent. Her boots made a satisfying thump as she landed with ease on the ground, however, neither Dean nor Claire relinquished their grasp on the other, hazel orbs never straying from green orbs.

Sam watched his brother and their friend stare at each other, trying to hide the smile that attempted to make itself known. It was only after a minute or so of silence that neither Dean or Claire had moved that Sam finally spoke. "Dean?"

For the second time that day in a short time span, Sam made the two break away. Immediately they dropped their hands, both privately regretting it, but kept eye contact as Dean began to speak. "Come to our motel room at 8:00?" He asked.

Claire bit her lip before nodding. "Okay."

"You remember where it is, right?"

"Yup." She answered, remembering when Dean had told her where to find them should the occasion ever arise.

"Alright." Dean nodded, looking her in the eye before gathering her in his arms once more, holding her tight and close. "Don't worry about them, they don't matter, okay?" He murmured into her hair. Against his chest he felt Claire nod slowly, not knowing how much she appreciated his action. Finally they broke away, Dean looking to Sam as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "We'll see you later, okay?" He studied her face. While her eyes were no longer watery, Claire's eyes were red from the amount of crying she had done. Nonetheless, she silently nodded, her chestnut hair falling like a veil to cover a part of her face.

"Bye Claire." Sam said as the two brothers turned and walked away. Once they were out of earshot, Sam turned his head to look at Dean. "What happened?" Was all he asked.

Turning his head, Dean looked back at Claire sadly, her hair blowing in the breeze. "I'll explain at the motel." He promised, throwing his arm around his brother's shoulders as pulling him close as they walked.

* * *

_**A/N: Sorry for the hiatus, life got pretty busy! More on the way soon, we'll be picking up steam with this story soon!**_

_**Thanks for reading, and please leave your opinion on the story thus far!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Why would they do that?" Sam asked, shaking his head in confusion.

Dean had just finished explaining what had happened to Claire, leaving him shocked and disgusted at the events that had left their friend in an awful state. "Because people are mean, Sammy." He said. "People will do anything to get what they want."

Sam shook his head again before locking gazes with his brother. "Those girls being jealous of her for being around you all the time, I can understand that. But how am I involved in this?"

"I dunno, Sam." Dean shrugged, putting his hands in his face. "Probably because you're always with us when we're not in class. It just fuels their argument, something to use against her." They sat in silence for a moment, thinking. "Besides, it's me they're trying to get to. It's my fault."

"New kids always get picked on," Sam muttered before talking louder. "It's none of our faults. We didn't do anything wrong." While Dean wordlessly nodded, he still couldn't help but feel guilty. He knew that Sam was right, but that didn't erase the pain and guilt he felt regardless.

Suddenly there was a soft knock at the door, making both Winchesters freeze in defence, Dean's hand flinching towards a hidden gun. "I come in peace." Claire's voice floated from outside the door. Both boys sighed in relief and relaxed, Dean moving to open the door. As it swung open, it revealed Claire clutching a box in one hand and a plastic bag in the other, her eyes red as though she had been crying. "I come bearing a gift." She cracked a broken smile, holding up the pizza box.

Smiling, Dean stepped forward to scoop Claire up in a hug, which was a rather awkward hug considering her hands were full. Nonetheless, she let herself melt into his arms slightly in relief, feeling safe and warm there. "A woman after my own heart." Dean said into the top of her head before pulling back to look at her.

"Hi, Dean." She smiled before looking past him and into the room. "Hi, Sam."

"Hey, Claire." Sam responded, walking over to the doorway. "Here." He took the pizza and shopping bag from Claire and took it to the small counter.

"Thank you." Claire said gratefully, rubbing her hands together in relief before shrugging off her vest.

"You didn't have to bring anything." Dean turned to look at her after watching Sam.

"It was the appropriate thing to do." She shrugged.

"Well," Dean said, slipping his hand with ease, yet still shyly, into Claire's. "Why don't we grab some pizza and find something to watch on TV?" He suggested.

Claire looked down in private fascination at their hands, lifting them slightly as though to get a better look. Dean was about to pull his hand out of hers, but instead Claire squeezed it, looking up at him with a dazzling smile. "You guys go ahead and eat," she said. "I'm not hungry."

"You sure?" Sam asked from the table. "We never see you eat."

A troubled look flashed across her face. "I haven't been overly hungry lately." Claire said. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Dean studied her for a moment before tugging gently on her hand. "Okay." He led her into the room, closing the door behind them. "Hey Sammy, grab me a plate?" He asked, leading Claire to the couch.

"I didn't know what to get, so I got just pepperoni." Claire said, throwing her vest on to the nearby recliner and fidgeting with a silver ring on her right hand. "I hope that's okay." She looked up at Dean shyly as she sat down.

He smiled down at her. "Yeah, no problem. Thought that counts, right?" He moved to the table to grab a couple of slices before looking at the plastic bag. "What's in there?" Dean asked, looking at Claire as he pointed to the bag.

Claire hugged her knees to her chest. "Coca-Cola." She shrugged.

Shifting the bottles in the bag around, Dean found a cardboard box and pulling it out, held it up for Claire to see. "And what's this?"

Looking up at it, she got off the couch and walked to stand in front of Dean, reaching up to pluck the disposable camera box from his grasp. "Well, you two will be gone soon." She said slowly. "So in the event if I never see you again, I want to remember what you look like."

Dean looked at her sadly before forcing a smile. "Good idea." He choked out.

Turning over the box in her hand, Claire read the box then shyly looked up through her hair at him. "I wouldn't forget you, don't worry."

"You better not." He smirked. There was then a ripping sound followed a click and a flash as Claire took a picture of him. Despite being glared at by him, Claire simply smiled sweetly at him as though she had done nothing. "Hey, hey!" Dean said, reaching forward to snatch the camera, but Claire ran away giggling, clutching the camera as though it were a life line. Immediately he chased after her, dodging and climbing over furniture trying to catch her. From the sofa Sam watched the two happily, glad to see his brother smile so much as he chased the girl around the small room.

Finally, as they ran past in front of the sofa it was then Dean managed to snatch Claire, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulled her back into his chest. Squealing in delight she lost her balance fell back into him, causing them to crash on to the couch. Dean's arms constricted around her waist as they fell, pressing her close so that she was in his lap. Pressing his face into the crook of her neck, he smiled as he made his arm a vise grip around her waist as with his other arm he reached for the camera. "Give it!" He said, smiling widely at Claire's increasing giggles.

"No!" She squealed, squirming in an attempt to get away.

As he leaned forward, trying to get a better angle to snatch the camera away, Dean looked to Sam. "Cummon, man!" He said, a twinkle in his eyes. "Help me out here!"

Sam shook his head grinning. "You're on your own." Dean shot him a dirty look that made him laugh. "Well there's nothing you can do, now that she's taken the picture."

By this point Dean was back to trying to take the camera from a resisting Claire. "I can make sure she doesn't take any more unprepared pictures." He grunted.

Experimentally, he pressed his fingers into her side, making her flinch. Quickly he grabbed the camera from her, snapping a picture as she spun around with a mischievous grin on her face. "So you decide to take pictures of me instead?" She quirked an eyebrow.

Dean shrugged. "You started it." Was all he said before lifting her gently off his lap and placing her on the seat beside him. Getting up, he retrieved his pizza on the table and a bottle of coke then headed back to the sofa where he threw himself on to it, sitting on Claire's left as Sam sat on her right. Leaving forward, Dean grabbed the remote off the coffee table and switched the TV on. Immediately the screen flashed to life, sounds blaring from the speakers as he flipped through the channels. "So, what should we watch?" He asked, horking down on the food on his plate.

As he flipped through the channels, suddenly Claire's hand shot out to cover his hand holding the remote, effectively stopping him from changing the channels, choosing instead to look at her hand covering his. "Wait!" She exclaimed, her eyes fixed on the screen before them.

"What?" Sam asked, glancing at the two older teenagers, noticing where his brother's gaze was glued to, before shifting his own gaze to the screen as well.

"Sorry," Claire shook her head, watching the cartoon trailer play on the screen. "I really like the looks of this movie." She smiled slightly.

"What is it?" Sam watched and listened.

"It's called _The Prince of Egypt_." Noticing her grip on Dean's hand, Claire let go. "It's basically a retelling of _The Ten Commandments._" She leaned back.

"Cool." Sam nodded.

"I really like the sounds of it." Claire smiled. "I'm going to see it when it comes out."

"How about we figure out what to watch now before we plan on what to watch in the future?" Dean suggested, leaning back as well.

Claire turned to look at him wide eyed for a moment before looking back the TV. "I heard the Sci-Fi channel is playing a Star Wars marathon tonight." She suggested.

"Sammy?" Dean looked to his brother for a verdict.

"I'm okay with it." Sam shrugged.

"Okay," Dean said, turning to the correct channel as everyone settled in for the long night ahead of them. "Star Wars it is."

* * *

By the time _Return of the Jedi_ was half way through, the room was dark and both Sam and Claire had fallen asleep. Dean looked at the two of them, smirking slightly at the sight before him. He had returned his attention to the TV screen when something warm and solid made contact with his arm. Looking down in surprise he saw that Claire's head had lolled to the side, leaving her to sleep while leaning against Dean's arm. Smiling to himself, Dean watched for a moment before glancing at the clock on the wall which read 11:30. Now frowning, Dean looked at Claire and, wrapping an arm gently around her shoulder, began to shake her slightly in an attempt to wake her up.

"Claire," he whispered into her ear. "Clairey!"

"Mmmhhh..." She hummed sleepily, burrowing her way deeper into Dean's side, making him laugh lowly in amusement.

"Cummon, Clairey. You should head home soon." He laid his cheek on the top of her head.

"Noooo..." Claire's accent was garbled as she moaned in protest.

"Your parents will worry."

"They're not even in town." She shot back sleepily.

Dean raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What do you mean?" He asked.

Rolling slightly to lie on her stomach, Claire lifted her head to rest her chin on Dean's shoulder, cracking her eyes open slightly. "Ever since new year's I haven't seen them, not since we celebrated the New Year in our new house." She shrugged. "Woke up at the motel the next day and they were gone."

"What happened?" He asked in concern, thinking about his dad's current case.

"Don't worry, Dean." Claire rested her head in the crook of his neck. "This isn't the first time my parents have done this. Just a part of the job." She sighed sadly.

"Yeah, know the feeling." Dean muttered.

"Mmhhhmmm." She hummed again.

In his side Dean could feel Claire's warm weight start to relax into him. Glancing down at her he saw that she had begun to fall asleep once more. "Hey," he nudged her lightly again. "You should get going."

"Mhhhhhhhh, fine." Claire moan, squinting as she slowly sat up.

"Sorry I can't walk you home or something." Dean apologized, leaning forward to tentatively rub her back as she remained sitting up but dropping her head low.

"It's fine, take care of Sammy." Claire said, getting up off the sofa, Dean close on her heels. "I'm only just down the road and around the corner."

"Well... Alright." Dean said reluctantly, helping her into her vest.

Turning on her heel, Claire smirked at him slightly, making it look more like a lopsided grin. "I'll have you know I am more than capable of defending myself."

Immediately Dean's eyes flickered over her petite, porcelain like figure, a spark of worry igniting within him. "Just be careful, okay?" He begged quietly, smiling gently.

Looking Dean straight in the eye, Claire stood on her tip toes and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug, Dean wrapping his arms carefully around her torso in return. "Always." Claire mumbled the promise. "I had fun. Thanks for this." She broke away, putting her hand on the door knob.

"We should do this again." Dean leaned against the wall.

Claire shook her head smiling slightly. "Yeah," she agreed. "I'd like that."

"So would I." He returned.

They stood there smiling at each other before Claire shook her head once more. "Good night, Dean." She bid him farewell before opening the door and leaving.

"Bye, Clairey." He whispered, moving to stand in the doorway to watch her descend the flight of stairs and walk through the parking lot of the motel.

* * *

A few minutes later Claire was walking down the main street, the occasional car driving past. Over the past few days, a cold wind had begun to blow through the town, especially now, causing her to cross her arm and hunch her shoulders, clutching the lace covered sleeves of her dress closer to her arms. Despite being wrapped up in her own world, she was well aware of her surrounding, prepared for anything.

Suddenly, there was a blinding light in front her. Snapping her head up, Claire was surprised to see a beautiful ball of light floating feet before her, emitting a hum that could break ones heart. Eyes wide, Claire slowly walked towards her, reaching into her vest pocket to take out a silver switch blade. Covered in the warm light, she felt a calming sensation wash over her, feeling almost, though not entirely, complete. As she inched forward, Claire began to reach her finger tips towards the strange aura. However, the closer she got, her body began to feel as though it were on fire. Claire stopped, reaching for her chest and gasping in pain as she felt a tight and almighty pain build up in her heart, a building scream in her ear. Now the light began to float towards her, the blinding pain increasing to the point where she dropped to her knees, a small cry of pain pealing past her lips unwillingly.

The light began to hum louder as it grew closer before it stopped, and emitting a strange panicked hum, sped off in the opposite direction and out of sight. Once released from its grasp, Claire completely dropped to the ground, curling into a ball on her side as the waves of pain began to disappear with each pant she expelled. The sound of heavy footfalls slapping against the pavement alerted her of a person approaching, so quickly she concealed her knife, yet still kept it ready at moments notice, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Hey, hey!" A man's voice called before the person ran and dropped to her side. "You okay?" He asked, gently rolling her over.

Claire's face contorted in pain. "Yeah, I think so." She mumbled through clenched teeth. Opening her eyes she looked up to see a familiar face.

"Here." The man offered her a hand up.

Taking it, she looked over him, racking her brain as she tried to figure out where she had seen him before it clicked. "Aren't you Mr. Winchester?" She asked carefully.

Surprise flickered across John's face. "Who are you?" He asked.

"Oh, uh. I'm Claire Shanahan." She bit her lip before holding her hand out with a slight smile. "I was in the office when you entered your sons into the school."

"Oh," John said, remembering what Dean had told him about her; also remembering he told them to stay away from this very girl. "Hello." He shook her hand.

Claire smiled a little again before dropping her hand to look in the direction the light had zoomed off in. "Mr. Winchester, what was that?" She shook her head.

"I don't know." He looked around. "But you should stay indoors; it's not safe to be out this late at night."

"Yes, sir." The words slipped easily off her tongue as she nodded to John. "Have a good night, Mr. Winchester." She said before running down the street, not bothering to wait for a reply, leaving him to watch her retreating form.

_**A/N: Hey guys! So sorry this is late, I've been trying to post it for days, but something was wrong with the Doc Manager on here. However, it's all fixed now! Hope you enjoyed it, please leave me with your thoughts, and more to come your way soon!**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The following morning found the town covered in a light snowfall, a slight chill hanging in the mid-January air. Snow stuck to Sam and Dean's shoes as they walked through the field, making their way to Claire who stood waiting at their traditional spot, a smile on her face.

"Hello!" She called cheerfully, waving to the brothers before crossing her arms.

"Hey Claire." Sam grinned.

"Hello yourself." Claire mussed up his shaggy hair, making him laugh and shove her hand away playfully.

Dean smiled at the sight before him. "Aren't you cold in a dress?" He teased.

Claire turned her hazel gaze to meet his bright green gaze with a gentle smirk. "I'm wearing tights, dumbass." She shot back, similar to what she had said the previous day, clutching her jacket closer.

"Still," his eyes quickly slid over her petite form. "You're not cold?"

"Maybe." Claire relented, her face faltering.

"Cummon, let's go inside." Dean nodded towards the school.

Biting her lip, Claire looked between Dean and the building before shaking her head. "There's still half an hour or so before classes start," she looked to the tree she had been sitting in yesterday. "Mind if we sit up there for a bit?"

Sam and Dean looked at each other worriedly before looking back to their friend, immediately knowing what was causing the stall for what she dreaded. "You won't have to deal with those girls alone, Clairey." Dean said quietly, carefully taking her small hand in his.

Claire's gaze flickered from their joined hands to Dean's eyes before she nodded slowly. "Okay." She whispered.

Smiling at her, Dean tugged softly on her hand, encouraging her to walk with him towards the school. With Sam on her left, and Dean on her right, Claire began to gain more confidence as they walked, content to know the brothers would never abandon her.

* * *

For most of the day, they encountered no problems. People would still cast glances and glares at Claire and Dean, but it was not beyond the norm. This time however, the bubble had been penetrated, and Claire was aware of the stares, her cheeks flaring a vibrant red each time she felt their weight. However, each time Dean would simply nudge her foot lightly, giving her a slight encouraging smile.

Too soon though, final period was upon them, now leaving the two around the corner from the girl's change room saying a temporary good bye. For a long while, they stood to the side of the passing crowd, simply staring into each other's eye wordlessly before Claire was the one to break her gaze away to look behind her. Sighing, Dean put a hand on her shoulder and tentatively took her chin into his hand to turn her face towards and to look up at his. Looking down into her watery hazel eyes, he smiled gently. "Hey, I'll meet you after class, okay?"

Claire's lower lip trembled as she looked up at him, looking away for a slight second before throwing her arms around his neck, standing on her tip toes as she hugged him tightly. Immediately Dean wrapped his arms around her waist in response, holding her close to him as he buried his face into the crook of her neck, her long chestnut hair soft against his face. "I've faced things far worse than them," Claire mumbled into Dean's chest. "So then why am I so scared of them?"

Dean sighed sadly into her neck. "Because people can be cruel." He weaved his fingers through her curls, the smell of vanilla enveloping his senses. "But hey," Dean said, pulling away to look at her and smile. "I'll always be there for you. "

Claire tilted her head to the side, studying him with wide eyes before blinking away the unshed tears and slowly nodding in agreement. "I'll see you after class." She said slowly, bowing her head as she refused to meet his gaze.

Looking down at her, Dean hesitated for a moment before reaching around to place his hand on the back of Claire's neck to bring her head to rest against his chest. Gently, he placed a kiss on the top of her head, squeezing his eyes shut as he did so. All too soon however, the moment was over. Dropping his hand, Dean stepped away and smiled. "I'll see you soon." He promised. Slowly Claire raised her gaze to shyly look at Dean, a blush creeping along her cheeks that made him smile. With a final nod, Dean walked away, looking back one last time as he made his way down the hall. The sight behind him made him grin even wider; Claire was still blushing, a small smile of her own dancing across her lips.

* * *

The moment the bell had rung, Dean had bolted down the hall, walking as fast as he dared towards the school gym. Once the gym doors were within sight, he focused on them, looking, searching. Immediately he saw her, biting her lip and hiding behind her dark hair as the "popular" girls stood around her, laughing and pointing. Without a second thought, Dean rushed over, pushing his way through the circle to the center, and intertwining his fingers with Claire when he reached her side. Her hand hung limply in his, her hair forming a curtain as it hid her face from view. The moment Dean reached her side, the laughter died down, the occasional snicker taking its place.

"I told you before, Dean." The blonde from yesterday stepped forward, an unattractive smirk on her face. "Ditch that loser and come hang with us."

Dean simply glared at her. "And I told you, I'm not interested."

There was an unimpressed grumble coming from the ring that circled around them. The blonde looked to her friends offended before sneering at Claire. "Wow, Shanahan. What did you do to make him so loyal to you?"

"She was nice to me, you crazy bitch." Dean said loudly, his face clouding over in rage.

The girl looked at him in shock, her eyes glinting before she turned her venomous gaze back to Claire. "Nice, huh? How many times you let him into your skirt, Shanahan?" She shot.

Dean stepped forward towards her with a fierce glare. "Hey-" he thundered before Claire tightened her grip on his hand, gently pulling him back.

"About as many times as you ever have and ever will, Jay." Came Claire's soft and cool response, lifting her head to lock her tear-stained, but challenging gaze with the blonde bully.

Jay's jaw dropped in shock before her face evolved into an expression of fury. "How _dare_ you!?" She screeched, lunging forward.

Immediately Dean dropped Claire's hand and stepped in front of her, protecting her from harms away. "I don't think so." He said lowly, feeling Claire's small hands grasping the left sleeve of his leather jacket.

Shoulders hunched and eyes narrowed, Jay stepped back to glare at the two. "You're making a big mistake, Dean." She warned him.

"I'll take my chances." Dean said before turning around and throwing his arm around Claire's shoulders, pulling her close into his side as they walked away. Both were silent as they made their way through the halls and finally to the front doors where Sam stood waiting, looking out the window before hearing the approaching footsteps and turning around.

"Hey guys, what took so long..." Sam said when he saw his brother and their friend, trailing off when he saw their facial expressions. "What happened?" He asked cautiously.

"Later, Sammy." Dean told him, glancing at him as he continued to walk. Opening the door to the outside, a frigid gust of wind blew on to the three, and Claire, who was already quivering like a leaf, shook even worse, except this time from the cold. Noticing this, Dean opened his coat to tuck her into his side within his warm jacket. With her arms hugging his torso, Claire melted into Dean's side, making him constrict his arm around her shoulders tighter. Looking down at her, Dean thought for a moment before speaking. "You're going to come with us back to our motel room, okay?" While it sounded like a question, the words that had fallen from Dean's mouth were more so statement than anything else, resulting in a silent nod of agreement from Claire. "You ready, Sam?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded, zipping up his jacket.

"Alright then." Dean sighed before the three of them stepped out to the white flurry awaiting them outside. Snow and ice was immediately flung against them as they stepped out of the building and begun to walk, bowing their heads as they tried to protect their faces from the sharp wind. While they walked through the snow blurred streets, Claire flinched deeper into Dean's side and embrace as the knife that was the wind that fought against them while he could simply pull her closer.

Once they had reached the motel, the door flew open as the cold wind swept in from the outside after Sam had unlocked and opened it. Quickly they scurried inside and the moment Sam managed to force the door shut, Claire burst into tears, her knees giving out beneath her as her bottled up emotions took over. Her body barely had time to slump to the floor as Dean caught her and held her to his chest, anticipating her fall. One glance was all Sam needed from his brother to send him hurrying away across the small room, busying himself with whatever he could. For a minute Dean stood there, holding Claire tight to his chest as sobs wracked through her body which she was unable to hold up herself. Then, keeping a firm arm around her torso, he bent down to hook the other arm behind her knees, effortlessly picking her up and cradling her close to his chest, her head resting above his heart as he carried her to the couch. Sitting down himself with Claire in his lap, he kept an arm around her waist and put a hand on the back of her head as she buried her head into the crook of his neck, her tears wet and cold against his skin. His face hard, Dean simply sat there with his arms around Claire as she cried, her muffled sobs filling the suffocating silence.

* * *

What Claire was next aware of was the sound of cartoon violence and voices, with a light warm weight on her body. With a slight moan, she shifted her body slightly before cracking her eyes open slightly, the glow of the television screen bathing her in a dull blue light.

"You okay?" Sam's quiet voice floated through the room.

Turning her head, she found him sitting on the opposite end of the couch, staring at her with a wide eyed concern. Claire squeezed her eyes shut as she shook her head, as though to clear it. "Better than before, thank you." Then, she looked around the room worriedly and confused. "Where's Dean?" She asked.

"He went to go get food." He shrugged returning his attention to the TV.

"Okay..." Claire sighed before focusing her gaze on the bright TV screen. "So what are we watching?"

"Rocky and Bullwinkle." Sam shrugged, his eyes glued to the characters on the screen.

"Oh..." Claire said as she repositioned herself into a more comfortable position, rearranging the light blanket that had been tucked around her. It was silent in the room for a moment as the two watched the cartoon characters run across the screen, but eventually that silence was crushed. "Go figure they'd call the moose Bullwinkle." She snorted.

This earned her a look from Sam. "Why?"

Claire snorted again. "Bull."

"Might be stupid, but he and Rocky make a good team. They always stick together, no matter what." Sam defended.

"Like you and Dean?" The room immediately went quiet save for the TV at her words.

"We don't get into half the stuff they get themselves into." He shrugged.

"But together until the end." Claire didn't miss a beat, taking Sam back.

"Yeah, I guess so." He smiled.

There was a click at the door as the lock came unhitched, making both Sam and Claire's hand flinch, Sam's towards a hidden gun, Claire's to her concealed knife. However, when the door swung open to reveal Dean with three bags of take-out, the two relaxed back into the sofa. As he closed the door behind him, he glanced to the sofa and smiled when he saw Claire's wide, gentle eyes watch him. "Hey, you're awake."

"Hey Bullwinkle." Claire said, a teasing but wicked smile on her face.

Dean's brow wrinkled in confusion at her greeting. "Bullwinkle?" he repeated in confusion.

Claire simply pointed to the TV screen. "Rocky and Bullwinkle. They're there for each other no matter what, like you and Sam." She shrugged.

One look at the two characters on the screen set Dean's mouth in a frown. "Why do I have to be the moose?" he asked.

"You're the tallest." Claire looked at him.

"Not to mention the stupidest." Sam muttered.

"Bitch." Dean threw at him.

"Jerk." Sam tossed back.

"Whatever," Dean shrugged out of his jacket before he set to unpacking the food. "I don't like flying anyways, so I'm cool with not being the squirrel." Once all the food was out, he grabbed it all and made his way to the couch, passing Sam his food before making his way to Claire who stood up from where she was tucked away by the arm of the couch. "I didn't know what you liked, so I just got you the same thing I got for me." He said sheepishly.

Standing on her tip toes, she peeked at the food in his hands before smiling widely. "A man after my own heart." She teased, paraphrasing his statement from last night, graciously taking food from him before stepping aside. "Here." She indicated to where she had just been sitting.

Dean rose an eyebrow. "You sure?"

Claire smiled gently at him. "Yeah." She nodded.

Together they sat next to each other, the two Winchesters digging into their food as Claire simply sat back and watched the cartoon. She was unaware of what was happening around her until a nudge in her side brought her back to reality. "I thought you were hungry." Dean said to her, referring to her untouched food on the coffee table in front of them.

She stared at it for a long moment before frowning. "I thought so too…" she mumbled before shaking her head. "You go ahead." she said, waving a hand to the food.

"You sure?" Dean asked slowly, worry written clean across his face.

"Yeah, go." She told him. Their eyes connected as they watched each other, Dean watching her as he reached for the food inch by inch before Claire rolled her eyes. "Go ahead, Dean. Just go."

Taking it, he quickly ate it before leaning back himself to watch the show. As soon as he leaned back there was a warm weight on his side. Looking down he saw Claire warily lean against his arm, her eyes fixed on the screen but caution evident in her deliberate actions. At this Dean took his arm out from behind her, making her freeze before he put that arm around her shoulders and gently pulled her back into his chest. Almost immediately she relaxed back into him, her head resting comfortably landing on his chest. There was a slight scuffling noise and bounce on the sofa as Sam shuffled over to sit closer to the two.

And for a while, the world was perfect as it stood still in that single moment.

* * *

Early the next morning, long after Claire had left for home and as Dean and Sam got ready for school, their Dad opened the garbage to throw something out when he suddenly spoke. "Three burgers, Dean?" he asked, looking to his eldest son once he spotted the wrappers in the trash.

Dean froze for a moment, meeting Sam's wide eyes before turning to look at him expressionless. "We were hungry." He shrugged.

John looked between his two sons before shaking his head and letting the subject drop. Sam and Dean's eyes met, both letting out silent sighs of relief at dodging the bullet.

* * *

_**A/N: Next chapter is where things start to go downhill. I apologize in advance. XD Thank you for all of your kind words and for following this story, it means the world and so much more to me! More to come soon, and please do leave me with your thoughts!**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

With the utmost care, Sam and Dean had Claire over every evening for the rest of the week, making sure they were in the clear so their father wouldn't find out. Despite what John had ordered, the two brothers were happy to have her company, and likewise for her. For Sam, while he was happy for reasons different to Dean and Claire, he was happy nonetheless. Every night was filled with sitting on the sofa, watching whatever they like on TV, the boys eating while Claire was pressed close to Dean's side, or chasing each other with disposable cameras she would bring with her, laughing at each other's embarrassment or at the poses that were struck. So, for a while, the Winchesters embraced the almost normalcy that had been absent for most of their lives.

That Friday found the three walking away from the school, eager for the start of the weekend, Dean and Claire hand in hand while Claire had her arm casually slung around Sam's shoulders. "So, what should we do tonight?" Dean asked, smiling down at her as he squeezed her hand.

A troubled look flashed across Claire's face before she bit her lip and looked down at the frozen ground as they walked. "Would you mind if I came over later?" She finally asked, looking up shyly at him.

The look that had taken its place on Claire's face was copied onto Dean's as his grin pulled down into a frown. "Why?" He asked. "What's wrong?"

"I haven't been feeling well lately, I think I just need to take a nap." Claire shrugged, her brow knitting itself together as she thought about the ball of light and the affects it had on her.

"Lately?" Dean repeated worriedly.

Not having told Dean or Sam about her encounter with the light, Claire stuck to the other half of the story. "Moooore like the past two and a half weeks." She drew out, not exactly lying.

Sam and Dean stopped in their track to look at each other in concern before looking at her directly. "Ever since the start of the new year?" Sam asked.

"How do you feel now?" Dean said immediately after.

Claire's frown grew with each question thrown at her. "Hollow." She finally said, looking down at the snow covered ground. Although even then that single word did not seem to do how she felt justice.

"Well you never did eat today." Sam pointed out.

"I don't mean hollow like I'm hungry," Claire shook her head, fat snowflakes that had landed in her curls flying outward. "Hollow like I'm… incomplete."

"How can you feel incomplete?" Dean asked in confusion, feeling hurt.

Claire shrugged. "Search me. I don't know why I would either; I've got a normal-ish life, I'm doing well in school, I have the best friends that I could ever hope for…" She smiled shyly at them, earning smiles back. "What else is missing?"

"Your parents?" Dean said gently, watching her expression.

At this Claire blinked. "I don't know. Maybe. I've spent most of my life either with or without them, so..."

Dean chuckled. "Know the feeling." Looking away for a moment, he sighed before stepping towards Claire and gathering her in a hug. "Just hurry up and come on over, okay?" He told her, resting his cheek on top of her damp head.

"Mmhhmm." She hummed, nodding her head against Dean's chest.

Breaking away, the pair looked at each other for a long moment until Sam coughed, making them turn their heads to look at him. Dean's eyes narrowed at his brother while Claire's cheeks reddened, a small smile on her lips. "Try and eat something, Claire." Sam told her, hiking his bag higher on his shoulder.

Folding her hands together, she nodded at him. "Will do, Rocky." She teased.

This made Sam laugh. "If we have nicknames, then we have to give you one." He jokingly threatened her.

"Not in a million years." Claire shook her head grinning.

"Cummon, Sammy." Dean mocked punched his brother's shoulder. "She's got one already."

"Don't care." Sam laughed as he pushed Dean away.

"Go ahead. Try me, Sammy." Claire crossed her arms, stick in her tongue out at him.

Sam mocked her pose. "Fine."

"Alright, alright." Dean raised his hands, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. "Go home, Claire. Rest then hurry back. Hurry back..." The rest of the sentence stuck in his throat, his mouth going dry as he realized what he was about to say. Of course, he meant what he thought, but would he be able to say it out loud? Would it seem selfish?

Cocking her head to the side, Claire studied him with wide eyes before jumping on him in a hug, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Dean stumbled back with an _oomph_ then quickly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her so close to him that he lifted her off the ground slightly. In their tight embrace, Claire breathed a sigh of comfort. "Hurry back to you." She finished the thought; her soft lips and warm breath grazing his neck, making him relax in a shiver at her words and hold her even tighter.

"Yeah." Dean sighed in relief before gently placing her back on her feet. "Hurry back to me." He said as he held her at arm's length, his hands tightening on her slender shoulders.

"If you guys kiss, I will throw up." Sam piped up from down the road.

Dean and Claire turned to look at him, Dean throwing an arm around her shoulders to pull her into his side, pressing a kiss to the top of her head while watching his brother, a smirk pulling at his mouth as he did so. At this Sam made fake gagging noises while Claire blushed a bright crimson. "You hurry back to me, alright?" Dean mumbled into the top of her head.

"Mmmhhhmmm." Claire hummed, her eyes closed before she unwillingly pulled away. "See you soon. 8:30." She promised before hurrying away, her shoulders hunched against the cold.

Standing frozen in place, Dean watched Claire before she disappeared from sight, then joining his brother and making their way to their motel. "That was cute." Was all Sam commented with cheeky gleam in his eyes.

Dean glared mockingly at him before giving him a shove. "Shut up, bitch."

"Jerk." Sam said before they locked gazes and smiled at each other.

"Cummon, I'm freezing my ass off out here." Dean said as another gust of the frigid wind blew through them.

"Don't worry," Sam said reassuringly as they began to walk along the snow blurred street. "She'll be fine."

"Yeah," Dean said lowly, his words going unheard in the howling wind. "I hope so."

* * *

_Rushing up the stairs, she saw her parents lying still and pale on the ground, covered in their own deep scarlet blood. Immediately she screamed in terror. It wasn't that she hadn't seen them cover in blood before, but it was the fact that they were actually dead there on the kitchen floor, in the house they were supposed to be safe in. Turning to the entrance of the kitchen, she saw a masked figure raise a gun at her. Claire managed to duck and scurry to the other side of the table as her attacker started to fire at her. Jumping up quickly, she managed to grab one of the silver knives off of the table and fling the knife across the kitchen. There was a bang a moment before her blade found its home imbedded in the chest of the masked man, and instantly Claire felt warm, her chest hurting and feeling heavy. As the now dead assailant fell to the floor, she slowly looked down to her warm aching chest, and as a warm glow lit up the room, Claire saw the bloodied bullet hole in her chest, leading directly to her heart before a gasp left her lips and she fell to the floor, the light blinding her to the world around her._

* * *

The world came to her in a swirl of colors as Claire snapped up into a sitting position in her hotel bed, her eyes wide as she struggled for breath. Her heart beat wildly as she sat there drenched in sweat, remembering the vivid dream that had shaken her to the core. Sure, she had in reality had close calls before, and that was almost a part of the job, but to go on out because of a house robber? What would bring on that sort of dream, and one so vivid it seemed real?

Leaning forward so that she could rest her elbows on her knees, Claire sighed as she buried her face in her hands, attempting to control her breathing before running a hand through her long tangled locks. Tiredly, she turned her head to squint at the alarm clock at her bedside. At sight of the time she gave a yelp of surprise then lunged for the phone, quickly inputting the number that was written next to the holder. As the tone indicated the phone ringing, Claire pressed the receiver to her cheek with bated breath, awaiting the sound of the only voice she wanted to hear.

"Hello?"

* * *

For the past two hours Sam had sat watching his brother pace the room, do meaningless tasks, and even do his homework as they waited for Claire to show up. However, she was still a no show, which made Dean start to panic. "Dean, don't worry." Sam told him.

"It's 11:30, Sammy." Dean said as he paced, gesturing to clock in the room. "She should have been here hours ago!"

Sam sighed. "She wasn't feeling good, she probably fell asleep."

Whirling around, Dean was about to yell at his brother when the phone began to trill. At this they snapped their gaze to the ringing object, they stood there frozen for a moment before Dean lunged forward, snatching the phone from the receiver before speaking breathlessly into it. "Hello?"

"Dean?" A female voice called over the line.

"Clairey!" He exclaimed.

"I'm sorry! I fell asleep for much longer than I anticipated!" Claire was quick to apologise.

Dean shook his head with a soft smile on his lips, his worry instantly melting away. "Don't worry about it. Are you okay now?"

There was a pause before Claire spoke. "Not really, you still want me to come over?"

Biting back a hyped _of course_, Dean nodded. "Yeah, sure."

"Alright, I'll see you soon." She promised.

"Okay, bye."

"Bye." There was a click before the line then went dead.

Immediately after that Dean set back to pacing the room.

* * *

In less than ten minutes Claire flat out ran to the motel the Winchester's were staying at despite wearing a dress. The moment she crossed the lawn of the motel she slowed to a walk, her eyes fixed on the room door on the second floor of the building. She saw Sam peeking out from behind the curtains, making her smile and wave. He waved back with a big smile on his face before turning away from the window. Claire giggled at this, and was twenty feet from the steps to the second level when a bright light suddenly landed on her like being in a spotlight. Eyes squinted, her hazel eyes were drawn to the mysterious ball of light floating at the edge of the building.

"It's you..." She whispered, becoming transfixed on the orb.

Letting out a sad yet mysterious hum, it slowly started floating backwards, around the corner and away from Claire. Then, as though in a trance similar to Aurora and the spinning wheel in Sleeping Beauty, she began to follow it.

* * *

As his brother paced the room behind him, Sam continued to watch guard, peering out the window until Claire came running into view. Once her feet touched the grass she started walking rather than running, she locked her gaze on the room door before noticing Sam. She smiled and waved to him, to which he returned the gesture then turned to look at Dean.

"She's here." He told him.

"Finally." Dean sighed in relief, crossing the floor to look out the window with his brother. However, the sight laid out before him made his stomach drop. There in the parking lot stood Claire bathed in a bright warm glow, her eyes wide and unfocused. "What the hell?" He mumbled, watching Claire worriedly before she began to move towards the light, as though she were commanded to. Then, like a switch had been flicked on in his head, Dean put two and two together. The light was what his dad was hunting, and it had Claire under its spell. People had already gotten hurt because of this thing.

"Aww crap." He swore before grabbing a gun and swinging his jacket on. Running for the door, Dean ripped it open before stopping and looking back to Sam. "Keep the door locked, grab a gun, and keep an eye out for that thing." He told his brother who nodded. "Don't open that door for no one unless it's me and Claire, or Dad. You got it?"

Sam nodded again in worry, getting up to get a shot gun. "Got it." He said, loading it.

"Good." Dean nodded at Sam before slamming the door shut behind him and hurrying down the steps and after Claire.

* * *

Slowly walking around the building, Claire continued to follow the floating orb. In most situations, her instincts would be screaming at her to defend herself; that things would not end well if she did not take control of the situation. However, her instincts were quiet; to the contrary they were urging her forward to follow the mysterious yet familiar orb. It was at the edge of the frozen lake that lay behind the motel did Claire paused, the spell over her broken, though her curiosity remained. As the light continued to make its way across the ice, she watched after it longingly. Then, with an unsure look at the thick ice before her, took a cautious step on to it, breathing a sigh of relief when it did not give out beneath her.

Rounding the corner of the building, Dean ran on to the grass and to the edge of the ice, watching Claire as she took gentle steps towards the light that had stopped to hover at the center of the lake. Further and further she walked out on the lake, making Dean even more so nervous with each step Claire took. Yearning to follow her, he moved to take a step onto the ice but was met by an invisible boundary, bouncing him back a couple of steps and fall to the ground. At this Dean began to truly panic as he scrambled up off the ground and ran to the icy edge, his eyes fixed on Claire.

At the center of the lake, she stopped inches away from the orb, the light reflecting in her curious eyes. The air around her was warm, the thing heating the air around it, also melting the ice beneath itself and the girl before it. As the ice creaked beneath them, Claire looked around worriedly. After a moment of thought though, she raised her hand to reach for the light. However, as it had been as the first time, her chest began to hurt, increasingly so as she continued to reach for the orb. Biting back a scream, she continued to reach forward. Finally, when her fingertips met the warmth of the orb as she finally touched it, she gasped as memories came flooding back to her in a flash of light.

* * *

_"Claire, go look at the basement." Her father called up to her. "Bobby promised it would serve our needs well." _

_"I doubt Bobby said that exactly." Claire mumbled as she ran down the stairs to the main floor, her white dress fluttering around her knees. _

_"What do you think of your room?" Her mother smiled gently at her as she entered the kitchen, trying to diffuse any oncoming tension. _

_Throwing her arms around her mother, Claire hugged her tightly with a big smile. Her mother immediately hugged her back. "I love it!" She whispered in her ear before pulling back to look at her. "Finally a room of my own!" Then unexpectedly, there was a clang at the table, making both mother and daughter whip their heads around to look at the source of noise. There stood her father with a hockey bag in hand, taking out various silver knives and placing them on the table. "Dad, I thought we were finished with all of this." Claire gestured to the weapons piled on their new dinner table sadly. _

_Mr. Shanahan looked up at his daughter disapprovingly over the rims of his glasses. "It's only on hold while you go to school." He told her, feeling a twinge of guilt at the look of sadness on Claire's face from what he told her. Walking over to her, he opened his arms to offer a hug, one his daughter threw herself into. "Look, I'm sorry hon, but we're hunters. We can't afford this kind of lifestyle for too long, we have a job to do." _

"_Yeah, but this," Claire broke away, gesturing to their surroundings. "This is safe."_

"_I'm sorry," Her father said, frowning before returning to the weapons on the table. "But that's how things work. We're hunters, and hunters are never safe." He murmured more or less to himself. "No go check out that basement." Mr. Shanahan said, this time to his daughter._

_Claire turned to look at mother desperately, but it was no use as Mrs. Shanahan regarded her with regret and pity. "Go on, sweetheart." She encouraged her, moving towards the empty counter and away from the weapon strewn table. _

_Shoulders slumped, Claire sighed before turning around the door leading to the basement below, quickly hurrying down the steps. The moment her feet hit the cement floor, she cooed in surprise at the feeling of the cold stone beneath her feet. She smiled though at the feeling, relishing in the fact that it was the floor of a house to call home, and not some strange place where a creature might be hiding. Looking around the unfinished basement, Claire's mind quickly figured out places weaponry could be hid with the right construction of hidey holes and cabinets. Moving forward in the cool and open room, she sighed as she trailed her hand across the beams and pipes that were exposed. As much as she loved her parents, Claire craved a normal life. All her life she had been hunting, hell from the moment she could walk the training began. No rest for those hunting the wicked. _

_Walking around to bend over to look at the space under the stairs, Claire scoffed. "Saving people, hunting things, the family business." She sang beneath her breath, rolling her eyes. It was all she had ever known, and according to her parents, albeit a little unwillingly, all she would ever know. Hunting was in the blood. That would never change. The instincts, the abilities, the job would never change, she knew that, but that didn't mean she wasn't willing to try._

_Speaking of instincts, a loud bang and thump directly above her head made her jump. She held her breath as another bang followed, making Claire run silently to and up the stairs in a flurry of flying skirts. She was no stranger to gunfire, but those shots sounded nothing like anything found in the Shanahan arsenal. That she knew for sure. So when her feet touched the warm wood of the first floor, the sight of her dead parents on the floor of the home that was supposed to be safe, Claire let out a blood curdling scream. A movement of a black shape made her whirl around in time to see a tall figure wearing a ski mask swing a rifle in her direction, her training kicked in as she dove out of the way and behind the table as the man attempted to shoot her. Each shot missed until it was silent. From her hiding spot behind the table, Claire breathed in deeply, readying herself as she heard her assailant reload his gun. Then, jumping up, she grabbed her silver knife from where it sat on the table and with a primed and effortless skill, threw it across the kitchen and into the man's chest; just as he fired the fatal shot. _

_Behind her, bloody drywall flew up as the man's body dropped to the floor in the doorway, Claire gasping for air as a pain filled her chest. Slowly looking down at her chest in shock, she saw the bullet hole into her chest ooze blood down her ivory skin and staining her white dress. With trembling hands, she went to cover the hole as a blinding light filled the kitchen, a calming wind filling her ears as she too slumped to the ground, a single tear trailing down her cheek as her blood mingling with that of her parents._

* * *

Claire stumbled back, frozen in shock as a wave of energy pulsed from her as she absorbed the ball of light. In that instant, she felt whole again, but unnaturally warm. Slowly, she looked down to see a bloody bullet hole in her dress, leading straight through to her heart, blood seeping through the lace and down her body. Below her, the ice creaked once again.

From the shore, Dean watched worriedly, stumbling back as the pulse fanned out across the lake and shore. After a painstaking moment, he craned his neck to try and see Claire's expression. It was no use however as she had her back to him. "Clairey?" He called loudly, his concern reverberating across the lake to her.

At the sound of his voice, Claire snapped out of her trance, feeling somewhat tired as she slowly turned to face him. "Dean?" She said in confusion taking a step forward. All of a sudden the ice gave a loud groan in protest before finally giving out underneath her weight.

"Claire!" Dean screamed as Claire gave a scream of terror of her own as the ice cracked beneath her, slipping into the cold dark water and out of sight.

* * *

_**A/N: ... reviews? :3**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The moment Claire slipped under, Dean stripped off his leather jacket, ditched his gun and ran across the ice, adrenaline driving him forward towards the still black hole in the center of the lake. Dropping to his knees at the edge of the hole, he desperately tried to see through the water, however, seeing nothing. "CLAIRE!" Dean screamed again in panic. A faint thump beneath him however caught his attention in the chilling silence. Scrambling to the side, he wiped the snow aside to see a faint pale figure sink beneath the ice. Not a moment was spared as Dean quickly slid into the frigid water.

Taking a large gulp of air, he dove down into the darkness below. The temperature of the water almost shocked him into breathing in, but he managed to retain the gasp and continue to hold his breath. Turning himself around, Dean saw Claire's ghostly figure slowly float to the bottom of the lake. Panic began to rise in his chest when he saw her beautiful eyes shut, making him quickly swim his way over to her. Her form swayed as the water around her shifted, her dark hair billowing out around her like a halo. Stopping in front of her, Dean kept his eyes trained on her face as he gently wrapped an arm around her waist before turning back and making his way back to the hole in the ice.

With a splash and a large gasp, Dean broke through the water, struggling to keep Claire's lolling head above the frigid drink. Hooking his arms underneath her arms, he pushed her out of the water and onto the ice, pushing him further down in the black ink. Thankfully, the ice did not break beneath her dead weight as she was pushed on to it, making Dean sigh with relief. Quickly he scrambled up onto the ice beside her, shivering from the cold that increased on his shoulders. Stumbling to his feet, he regained his balance and picked Claire up, holding her tenderly to his chest as he carefully but hurriedly raced across to the shore.

Slipping on the occasion, Dean managed to stay on his feet, not break through the ice, and make it to the shore. Gently laying her on the grass near his discarded possessions, his fingers seeked out the pulse on her neck. His breathing however became ragged as he began to panic as he found no pulse. As quick and careful as he could, Dean tilted Claire's head back and opening her mouth, bent down to see if he could hear or feel any signs of breathing. Still nothing.

It was a good thing the last school he had gone to had made him take CPR training in gym class because he knew what to do as he immediately folded his hands together and started on compressions. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. He gritted out the numbers in his head as he counted each time he pressed down hard on her chest. After 30 compressions, he tilted her head back again, opened her mouth, and plugging her nose, covered her mouth his. Under any other circumstance, Dean would be shy, yet absolutely thrilled to have his lips pressed against Claire's, but her soft lips were pale and cold, lifeless; an almost blue hue to them. Trying to keep his breathing normal, he breathed two large breaths of warm air into her frigid lungs. Seeing her chest rise and fall slightly from the corner of his eye gave Dean hope. Immediately he set to work again, pumping Claire's chest 30 times, warming her lips with his own with two breaths of air, and repeated again.

As the old saying "third time's a charm" goes, it proved to be correct after the third time as Dean filled Claire's lungs with air there was a gurgle as she began to cough, water spilling from her mouth and down her face, her body wracking with each cough. Dean sighed with relief, as he smiled slightly, smoothing away wet strands of Claire's hair from her face. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay, Clairey. I got you." He crooned softly, slipping an arm beneath her shoulders to prop her up slightly. "I got you."

"Mmmhhhhhhh…" Claire moaned between coughs. Dean kept repeating his word as he cradled her to his chest. After a while, her coughing subsided, her lungs free of the invading water. Her cold form started to relax in Dean's arms, her head falling back so that she could look through squinted eyes at him. "Dean?" She mumbled, her voice hoarse.

He smiled down at her, gripping her tighter in response. "Hey." He whispered.

"Hey." Claire managed a weak smile in return.

Dean's smile widened before his lower lip began to tremble, and finally, the tears began to flow. "Oh god." He began to cry, resting his forehead on top of her damp head. "I thought I lost you."

With the little strength she had left, Claire brought a trembling hand up to rest along Dean's cheek. "Hey," She whispered, catching his attention. "I'm 'ere." He brought a hand up to cover hers, making her smile slightly before she winced and her arm slackened, only kept up by Dean holding her hand, before she relaxed completely into his arms.

"Claire?" Dean looked down at her still face in worry. "Clairey!?" All he earned was another moan in response. "Cummon, Clairey. Stay with me."

"Mmmmhhhhh, I'm cold." She mumbled.

"Right." He leaned over her to grab his jacket he had left discarded on the ground earlier and tucked his gun in the back of his pants, his eyes never leaving her face. As gently as he could, Dean wrapped Claire into his jacket before picking her up bridal style and started hurrying back to the hotel and fast as he could. "Now just stay with me, Clairey. Okay?" He glanced down at her face briefly. "Focus on my voice; you gotta stay with me, Clairey."

Another moan in response. This time however, quieter than before.

This made Dean walk even faster, humming to keep himself calm and to give her something to focus on as he hurried along. In his arms, Claire snuggled deeper into his jacket and his chest.

* * *

In the motel room, Sam waited patiently, though worriedly as time ticked on with no sign of Claire or Dean. After ten minutes of Sam being left alone to his thoughts, he began to get increasingly worried. His father had said that the light hadn't directly hurt anyone, and that it had only captured attention. It didn't however settle the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach as he listened for anything out of the abnormal. So when a banging on the door suddenly broke the silence, Sam gripped his weapon tighter, training it on the door.

"Sam!" Dean's voice shouted over the banging. "Sam, open the door!"

Jumping up, Sam ran for the door, his gun still in hand as he stood on his tiptoes to peek out the peephole. Through the narrow fisheye view he saw a dripping wet Dean holding an equally wet and unconscious Claire in his arms. Unlocking the door, Sam threw it open and moved out of the way as Dean hurried into the room, leaving a trail of water behind him.

"Dean! What happened?" Sam asked, shutting the door and following his brother into the bathroom.

"That light Dad's been hunting, it had her in some sort of trance. Got her out in the middle of the frozen lake before she fell in and got trapped under the ice." Dean explained as he lowered Claire gently onto the tiled floor.

"But you got her out?"

He shook his head. "Yeah, but she was knocked out. Had to do mouth to mouth just to get her conscious and breathing again."

In any other situation, Sam would have teased Dean about getting an excuse to kiss a girl, but this was Claire. Their best friend. Now wasn't the time to be making jokes when her life was on the line. "You have to get her warm." He told his brother.

"I know." Dean grabbed a towel off the rack. "Sammy, bring me my bag, we need to get her out of this." He gestured to the bloodstained dress.

Sam's eyes bulged slightly as he zeroed in on the blood. "What happened there?"

"I don't know! Now cummon!" Dean shouted in a panic at him, holding Claire close.

"Right." Sam muttered as he scrambled into the main room and grabbed Dean's bag.

In the bathroom, Dean caressed Claire's face and stroked her hair, trying to coax her from her slumber. "Cummon, Clairey." He said lowly, tracing her face with his fingers. "Don't do this to me."

"Here." Sam said as he brought the duffle bag in before crouching down to study Claire's all too peaceful expression.

"Thanks." Dean said, sifting through the clothing in the bag.

"Are you going to change her?" Sam finally asked.

Sighing, Dean looked at him tiredly and worriedly. "I'm going to have to." He said uncomfortably. "She won't wake up."

Nodding slowly, Sam kept his mouth shut before getting up off the ground. "I'll keep watch." He said, leaving the small bathroom.

"Hey," Dean called before Sam could close the bathroom door. "Thanks, Sammy."

"No problem." Sam smiled slightly before shutting the door behind him.

He smiled to himself a little at the door for a moment before returning his attention to the drenched young woman in his lap. "Uhhhh..." He said unsure, his hands flying uselessly above Claire. "Err... Claire?" Dean said, stroking her face. After calling her name a couple times, Claire finally began to respond, her eyelids fluttering as she moaned. "That's it, Clairey. Come back to me." He encouraged her.

"Dean..." Claire mumbled as her body began to once again convulse. "I'm cold."

"I know, I know." He soothed, continuing to caress her cheek as he pressed his forehead against hers. "We have to get you dried off. You're soaking wet."

Claire fingered the wet hem of Dean's shirt collar. "So are you." She said hoarsely.

"Don't worry about me." He smiled comfortingly.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she weakly shook her head. "I always will."

Laughing lowly, Dean propped her up so she was sitting up against his chest. "That's my girl." He said, pressing a kiss to her damp and dark hair. "Now cummon, I need you to get out of this dress."

"Kinky." Claire rolled her eyes, before trying to get up. As she struggled to get up, Dean got up as well, holding onto her as he helped her to try and stand. It was no use though as her knees gave out beneath her, sending her crashing towards the ground.

Dean however managed to catch her before she could hit the floor, holding her close to his chest as he looked down worriedly. "Whoah!" He said, holding up her weight.

"Sorry." Claire mumbled, pressing her cheek against his chest.

"It's fine, Clairey. But we gotta get you dry." He said worriedly as lowered her gently back to rest on his lap on the floor.

At his words, Claire turned her back to him and raised her arms over her head, confusing Dean. After a still and silent moment, she tilted her head back and turned to look at him. "Help." She said in a small, timid voice.

"What?" Dean was taken aback by her request, his cheeks immediately going red.

"Help." She repeated, her voice a little more firm this time.

Now, Dean may consider himself a ladies man, and would be more than happy to jump at this sort of chance with anyone else, but when he had true, legitimate feelings for Claire... All of a sudden it made him feel shy. "You sure?" He stuttered.

After a slow nod, Dean helped pull her vest off which landed on the tiles with a thud. Then with little strength, Claire kicked her boots off before once again holding her arms above her head. With shaky hands, Dean reached for the hem of her soaked and torn dress and pulled it up and over her head. When the warm hotel air made contact with her almost bare skin, save for her bra, Claire began to once again shiver violently, her teeth chattering as goose bumps erupted across her pale complexion. Seeing this, Dean quickly ran a towel over her torso and arms, trying to dry her off before he lunged for his duffle bag, grabbing a large white T-shirt and slipping it over her head, not noticing the shy shiver that trembled down her spine as he dried her off. Before slipping her arms through the shirt, there was a clicking noise before Claire slipped her wet bra out from under the shirt, making Dean's eyes widen as he swallowed nervously, and finally fully putting on the borrowed shirt.

"Eyes front, soldier." Claire murmured as she turned to look at him, her cheeks flushing red either from being cold or from embarrassment, Dean didn't know.

"What?" He stuttered, going red himself.

Managing a weak smile at him, she then looked at his bag pointedly. "Do you have any… umm…" She asked quietly. When Dean didn't get her question and looked at her questioningly, Claire gestured to her soaked tights. Almost immediately the gears clicked in Dean's mind, understanding what she was asking for.

"Oh, uhhh..." Leaning over, Dean shifted through his bag before selecting a pair of sweatpants and handing them down to her.

She took and held them silently for a moment before looking at him again wide eyed. "I umm... Also need..." Claire gripped the fabric tighter, her already pale knuckles going even whiter.

It hit Dean again, quicker than it did the first time. His green eyes widened even more as he stopped breathing for a moment. "Uhhh... Hang on." He told her, barely opening the door to slip out.

Sam looked up at his brother in concern as he left the bathroom. "Everything okay?" He asked quietly.

"Give me your underwear, man." Dean whispered, his eyes still wide.

"What? Why?" Sam said loudly in shock.

"Shhhh!" Dean hushed him, looking between him and the bathroom. "She needs something dry!"

"Then give her a pair of yours!" Sam hissed.

"Sam!" Dean hissed back.

Staring at his brother for a moment through narrowed eyes, Sam then sighed in defeat and got off the couch to grab a pair of white briefs from his bag, making Dean's face a successful target as he threw them at him.

"Bitch." Dean muttered as he took the underwear off of his face.

"Jerk." Came Sam's response as he flopped back onto the couch, returning his attention to the TV.

Turning back to the bathroom, Dean took a deep breath before hesitantly knocking on the bathroom door. "Hey, Claire?"

"Uh huh?" Came a response so quiet Dean almost missed it.

"I got you some, uhh… I won't come in or anything, but I'll throw them in and wait for you out here." He told her through the door. "That okay?"

"Yeah." Claire said.

Dean hesitated. "Right." He whispered before opening the door slightly, tossed the underwear in and snapped the door back shut. Across the room, Sam looked at Dean with a shit eating grin plastered across his face at his brother's unnatural discomfort. Shooting him a look in return, Dean remained faithfully on guard by the bathroom door until a few minutes later his name was faintly called.

"Dean…" Claire called.

"You okay in there?" His head snapped around to look at the doorknob, dying to be close to her again.

"Yeah, you can come in now." She reassured him.

No sooner were the words out of her mouth, Dean ripped the door open and threw himself into the small bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Easy tiger." Claire smiled at him, looking rather exhausted as she sat on the floor with her back against the cabinet under the sink, almost swallowed by Dean's baggy clothes that covered her slim figure. Her smile softened a little more when Dean smiled back at her before she removed her hands from her lap. "Help." She asked again in a childlike voice, pointing to the undone drawstrings on her borrowed pants with stiff and frozen hands.

Rolling his eyes with a smile, Dean dropped to his knees and bent down to tie her pants snug and tight. When he was finished, he pulled his hands back slightly to admire his handiwork. Then, ever so slowly, he brought his hands up and around to rest on Claire's hips. The moment his hands found their home, her frame immediately relaxed under his touch, her eyes shutting content and tiredly. Looking up, he smiled at her, brushing her long hair over her shoulder. "Cummon, let's get you rested." He said, moving to pick her up.

Claire opened her eyes as best as she could to give him a stern look and put a hand on his shoulder. "No." She said. "You need to dry off, too."

"Clairey, don't worry about me." Dean shook his head.

Her frown increased. "No." She said stubbornly, reaching for the towel beside her.

Reluctantly, Dean sat on the floor close to her, sitting still as she began to gently rub the towel through his short hair, shyly taking his shirt off for her when she tugged at the hem of his damp shirt. Her eyes widened slightly as he did so, however it wasn't at the sight of the few scars marring his physique, her cheeks instead reddening at the sight of his toned body. Without a single word, without a single question about his scars, Claire ran the towel over Dean's skin as though she were used to this type of process, making it his turn to shiver this time. When she reached his left shoulder though, her movements began to slow down before her hand fell as she herself slipped back into unconsciousness.

Chuckling to himself, as he had been expecting this, Dean quickly finished drying his arms and chest before slipping on a dry shirt of his own and picking Claire up. Carrying her out of the bathroom, he brought her to the bed he had been sleeping in for the past couple of weeks where he laid her down. Tucking the sheets and blankets tight around her, he bent down to kiss her forehead then went back into the washroom to finish drying himself off.

Once he was completely changed, he started hanging their wet articles of clothing off of the side of the tub. When he got to Claire's dress however, he stopped, for it was torn and bloodied in the chest, which was funny because although Dean hadn't been staring, much, Claire didn't have any chest wounds that would match the damage to her dress. Sighing to himself, he deposited the dress in the trash, wiped up the water on the floor, and went back into the main hotel room. Making his way to Claire, he saw that she was still violently shivering. Hurrying to her side, he spread his hand across her forehead, feeling that she was still ice cold.

"You didn't think she would warm up on her own, did you?" Sam's voice piped up from behind him.

Keeping his hand on Claire, Dean turned to look Sam. "What do I do?" He asked in desperation.

"Body heat is what she needs." Sam shrugged.

"What? I'm supposed to crawl into bed with her?" Dean said incredulously.

"Wouldn't be the first time you two have slept together."

"Come on, man." He said in protest. "That was on a couch in front of a TV! Besides, I took a dunk in that lake, too."

"Yeah, but you got adrenaline pumping through you, increasing your temperature." Sam shrugged. "It's the only way you can keep her from getting sick." He said before going into the washroom to get ready for bed, leaving his brother to his own devices.

Looking down at Claire with concern, he didn't move for a moment before walking to the other side of the bed and crawling under the covers with her, gently gathering and holding her to her chest. At the feeling of warmth, Claire unconsciously snuggled deeper into Dean's embrace, making him smile blissfully to himself again. Getting comfortable, Dean began humming again before not too long, he too fell asleep.

* * *

_**A/N: Thanks to everyone for questioning my sanity, made me feel satisfied. XD Just to let you know, I do have a Facebook page set up as Bad Wolf and Timelords where I post spoilers and whatnot if you want to keep an eye out for spoilers in the future! :) Anyways thanks again as always for reading, and please do leave me with your thoughts. :)**_


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